The One That Got Away
by fuckinghellbruh
Summary: Sarah Manning was only 9 when she was taken away from her family. Sent to the UK under the watchful eye of Neolution, she was trained to be an assassin. But when she's accidentally impregnated at 22, she quits and vows to change her life. Now a mother and a bodyguard at 28, she's reassigned to a different country and to the person she never thought she'd see again.
1. Prologue: Sarah Manning

**A/N: Hello Clone Club! No worries, appearance from your favorite couples are guaranteed in this story. I'll be giving away the Prologue and the first chapter in one go, then let me know what you think. Reviews are always appreciated.  
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Sarah Manning was only 9 when she was taken from her family for her delinquency. Sent to the United Kingdom under the watchful eye of the Neolutionists, she was trained to be an assassin, killing people from the top of the chain. But when she's accidentally impregnated at 22, she quits and vows to change her life. Now a mother and a bodyguard at 28, she's reassigned to a different country and, most importantly, to the person she never thought she'd see again.

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 **Prologue: Sarah Manning**

Sarah Manning was only 9 when she was taken from her family for her delinquency. She remembers that day vividly, like a nightmare that never goes away.

She remembers her attempt to escape from the hands of the people who were trying to take her away from her family; her mother, her twin sisters, and her brother. She remembers the apologetic look in her mother's eyes, the cries of her twin sisters, and the look of utter despair in her brother's eyes. She remembers that her family did not do anything to stop them from grabbing her, from taking her away from them.

She remembers looking forward to finishing her time in the rehabilitation center for delinquents. She remembers being taken away, yet again, by a group of people clad with balaclavas. She remembers thinking that she may never see her family again. She remembers being slapped in the face, immediately putting her to sleep. She remembers waking up in a private jet, clad with people in expensive suits. She remembers wondering where they were headed. Most of all, she remembers feeling lonely. She remembers vowing to herself that she will do whatever it takes to come back to her family.

She remembers sitting inside a car surrounded by people in expensive suits. She remembers looking out the window, watching the foreign scenery go by. She remembers being man-handled to a building, screaming her way out of it but to no avail. She remembers her anger for these people sinking in. She remembers being forced to sit down in front of an expensive looking desk, in front of a smiling blonde woman with stern features in her grey suit. She remembers the first thing she said to her, like a song in her mind that never goes away.

" _Sarah Manning, welcome to Neolution. My name is Susan Duncan."_

She remembers hearing the foreign accent. She remembers seething in anger, telling the blonde woman, now Susan Duncan, to get lost and go "fuck herself." She remembers Duncan laughing and looking at her like she's impressed at her outburst, like she expected it.

" _You will be an asset to us, Sarah. I just know it."_

She remembers hating her more for saying things she does not understand; she's 9 for fuck's sake. She remembers hating that damn accent. She remembers being man-handled to a room, complete with a bed, a desk, a cabinet, a restroom; designed as if she's on a luxurious vacation. She remembers the guys in expensive suits throwing all her bags inside the room. She remembers punching the wall in frustration after they closed the door, vowing to herself that she will make them pay. That night, she remembers lying down on the bed, hugging the pillow to her chest, crying her heart out in anger and in sadness.

She remembers the next day, replaying itself all over again in her head. She remembers being woken up roughly by the same people who man-handled her the night before. She remembers them shouting at her to dress up. She remembers being forced to run around the race track. She remembers all the exercises they made her do. She remembers how tired she was that day. She remembers thinking what they were all for, when the answer came in the form of another blonde.

She remembers the first time she talked to Helena. She remembers seeing her around the building, always on her lonesome, always scowling, until the day she approached Sarah. She remembers hearing another foreign accent. She remembers thinking that the girl is a bit weird for staring at her like she was someone special.

" _You are Sarah Manning, yes?"_

She remembers nodding a bit hesitantly, wondering what on earth was so special about herself. She remembers that this is not the first time people have taken an interest in her, people of the same age and people slightly and much older than her. She remembers how much she wanted the blonde woman with the curly fringe to explain everything, when she was blessed by an uncharacteristic smile.

" _You do not know why you are here, yes?"_

" _No, I really don't. Why are we here?"_

" _To kill people, sestra."_

" _And you're okay with that?"_

" _It is the only way out, yes?"_

She remembers feeling incredulous with how nonchalant the blonde was about everything. She remembers not understanding the blonde by what she meant when she said killing is the only way out. She remembers being frustrated with how cryptic everyone was being. She remembers panicking when she realized the blonde was about to leave.

" _Hey, I never got your name!"_

She remembers the blonde turning around, looking at her from head to toe, eventually giving her the friendliest smile anyone's given her since she's arrived.

" _Helena."_

Later on, she remembers spending the night imagining the smiles of her family, vowing to herself that she will do whatever it takes to see them again, even if it meant that she had to let go of her moral dispositions and kill people. She remembers being grateful that she met Helena.

She remembers spending the next few years training hard with the rest of the Neolutionists, as they are called. She remembers Helena helping her with everything. She remembers Rudy and Vic. Most importantly, she remembers the day she became angry at her family. She remembers that they did not do anything to stop those guys from grabbing her all those years ago. She remembers finding solace in the company of her friends in Neolution.

She remembers when she was 14 or 15, when she had her first sip of alcohol, her first drag of cigarette, her first drag of marijuana, her first snort of cocaine, and her first time having sex. She remembers masking her depression with the high of drugs, alcohol and sex. She remembers losing herself in everything surrounding her. She remembers the day she forgot what it felt like to be loved by a family.

She remembers she was 17 when she had her first kill. She remembers being woken up by Duncan and Ferdinand, one of the renowned assassins of Neolution, that it's finally time. She remembers not coming to terms with what they meant, but blindly, she remembers following their orders. She remembers riding a car with Helena beside her. She remembers how giddy Helena was with excitement, as if they were finally allowed a chance at freedom. She remembers the car stopping, Duncan and Ferdinand showing them the picture of the target.

" _This is James Marshall. He's one of England's most famous socialites. He's usually surrounded by his politician friends. You should have no problem spotting him." Ferdinand explained._

" _Remember girls, you are not allowed to make mistakes. He has to be dead on the spot. No collateral damage. If you do not succeed, there will be consequences." Duncan added._

" _Let us go now, Sarah!" Helena made a grab for Sarah._

" _Oi, what are you bloody excited about? We're about to kill people, yeah?" Sarah asked, hesitating to leave the car._

" _It will be fun, sestra. You must try it!"_

She remembers Helena leaving the car, standing rigid outside, waiting for Sarah to come out. She remembers Duncan and Ferdinand looking at her expectantly.

" _I want you to be the one to kill him, Sarah." Duncan said._

She remembers chills running down her spine at that. She remembers sweating from nerves.

" _I don't think I'm ready for this." Sarah admitted._

" _You better be. Just imagine what would happen to your family if you do not succeed."_

She remembers feeling angry at her for bringing up her family, the family that did not care about her, the family that did not do anything to find her. But, she also remembers feeling the love she had for her family despite what happened and she remembers thinking that she can't let anything happen to them.

She remembers spotting him, James Marshall, with a group of politicians as expected. She remembers finishing a glass of champagne and a glass of wine in quick succession for liquid courage. She remembers holding a glass of beer, positioning herself where James can see her. She remembers the first time she saw her, the way he smiled at her, and the way she put on a seductive look to send the message across. She remembers him making excuses to his friends and approaching her. She remembers the hands that slowly made its way up her thigh to her center a few minutes after he sat on the stool beside her. She remembers the moment the plan worked.

" _Not here, mister." Sarah whispered._

" _I know a private room we can use." James replied._

She remembers standing up and feeling her legs wobble from the nerves. She remembers walking with his hand around her waist, guiding her to his last moments. She remembers looking for Helena in the crowd for support and remembers the way Helena raised two fingers, pointing them at her eyes before pointing them at Sarah, telling her that she will have her back. She remembers how much that gave her the courage she needed for what she was about to do.

She remembers entering the room and being pushed to the bed, surprised with how much James wanted her. She remembers to act the part, to let him touch her and to touch him in return. She remembers using his aggressiveness to her advantage, choking him as she rode him to orgasm. She remembers how she tightened her hold around his neck; how he tried to stop her when he could no longer breathe. She remembers when he finally passed out. She remembers Helena entering the room just in time, tossing her the gun. She remembers looking at it, telling herself that she could do it. She remembers pointing the gun at the center of his forehead and remembers sobbing at the intensity of the situation. She remembers looking at Helena one more time, who seemed too happy about the situation. She remembers looking back at James Marshall before pulling the trigger. She remembers the shock, but most of all, she remembers the blood. She vaguely remembers Helena laughing in the background, telling her that she did it.

" _You did it, sestra! I told you it will be fun. We must go now!"_

That was the day Sarah Manning started to forget.

She doesn't remember how they got back to the car. She doesn't remember how she got the blood out of her clothes and her hands. She doesn't remember how she got back to her bed. She doesn't remember how she got out of the trauma from killing someone. She doesn't remember when she was allowed and given the task to kill again. She doesn't remember being better at killing. She doesn't remember the exact day she finally enjoyed killing people. She doesn't remember how many people she has killed. She doesn't remember the last person she's had sex with. But she clearly remembers when she was 22, when she found out she was pregnant.

That was the day Sarah Manning knew she no longer knew who she was. That was the day Sarah Manning started to remember.

She remembers missing her family back home. She remembers thinking if they were safe, if Neolution had made good on their promise to never touch her family just as long as she continued serving them. She remembers how much love she had for her sisters and her brother. She remembers how her mother used to call them "chicken." She remembers her life in Neolution. She remembers thinking about the baby inside of her, vowing to herself that she will never let that baby live the life she lived. She remembers vowing to herself that she will never let that baby inside of her feel unloved. She remembers vowing to herself that it was time to change.

She remembers the day she confronted Duncan about the situation. She remembers how disappointed she was and how she wanted so badly to get rid of Sarah's baby.

" _Abort it." Duncan demanded._

She remembers seething from anger at Duncan for the nth time, but she remembers not expecting the growl from Helena. She remembers Helena grabbing Duncan from her desk, smashing her head into the wall behind her.

" _You should not threaten baby."_

She remembers the look of fear in Duncan's eyes. She remembers Duncan gulping and nodding, pleading Helena with her eyes to release her. Most importantly, she remembers the love she felt for Helena. She remembers how Helena has been a sister to her in Neolution.

" _She kill for you too many times. It is time for her to go." Helena demanded._

" _Very well." Duncan cleared her throat. "You have served us well, Sarah Manning. And while it pains me to let go of one of our best assassins, I believe another life awaits you. I will make sure that you get the full payment for your services in Neolution."_

She remembers the look of joy in Helena's face and the tears she shed from the news she's been waiting to hear for 13 years. She remembers hugging someone again for the first time in 13 years and she remembers how good it felt. She remembers Helena helping her pack her clothes. She remembers Helena walking her out of the building.

" _Farewell, sestra. I will see you again, yes?" Helena smiled that smile that was only reserved for Sarah._

" _Yes, sestra." Sarah laughed, finally using the pet name Helena had for her._

She remembers Helena pulling her into a hug. She remembers tearing up, thinking how much she would miss Helena and wishing that someday, Helena would get her freedom too.

" _You take care of angel, yes?" Helena asked one last time._

" _I promise." Sarah answered._

She remembers receiving bags of money a few days later in her new flat in London. She remembers following the guys who delivered the money to the car, seeing none other than Ferdinand. She remembers being handed a paper and an address, telling her that she's guaranteed a job there when she's ready. She remembers climbing the stairs back to her flat. She remembers counting the money and she remembers them amounting to a few hundred thousand pounds. She remembers that this is all dirty money, that all of these are actually money she earned from killing people. She remembers vowing to herself to put every penny to good use.

Out of all the things she remembers, the memory that stands out the most is the moment she first caught a glimpse of her daughter.

She remembers holding her, wishing at that moment that she had her family around her. She remembers how much her heart felt full. She remembers the nurse asking for her new born's name.

" _Kira. Kira Manning." Sarah answered._

She remembers the nurses telling her that she's done a good job and that they will take care of Kira from now on while she rested. She remembers crying tears of joy that day, thinking that for once in her life, she's finally done something she's proud of. She remembers her sisters, her brother, her mother and Helena. She remembers thinking that she can't wait for them to meet her daughter.

She remembers that it took 2 years before she finally told herself to get the job that Ferdinand gave her, thinking that her savings would not replenish itself even though she was still good for another year. She remembers finding out that the job available was being a bodyguard. She remembers feeling incredulous and actually fearing that she might actually have to kill someone again. She remembers the look of acknowledgement in the eyes of Castor Security Group's boss, Coady, letting her know that she knew what she had done for the past few years.

" _Killing is not necessary in this job. What's necessary is that you defend the client from any harm. Can I trust you, Manning?"_

She remembers nodding to her. Then, later on, when she's had time to process everything, she remembers that being a bodyguard basically requires most of her time and attention. She remembers worrying about Kira, but her roommate, Jennifer Fitzsimmons, reassured her that she will take care of her when she's not home. She remembers promising Jennifer that she will take care of the expenses, that she had nothing to worry about, and that all she needed to do was to watch Kira. She remembers Jennifer telling her not to worry, that in a few months, Kira will be off to school. She remembers being grateful for meeting people like Helena, and now, Jennifer.

She remembers that despite her job, she was able to watch Kira grow up. She remembers witnessing her first walk, her first run, her first encounter with a friend, and her first day in school. She remembers how smart her daughter is, how beautiful she is, how different her daughter is from her, and how she intended to keep it that way.

She remembers the day she knew everything was about to change. She remembers she was 28. She remembers Coady telling her that her services were no longer needed in England, that the new recruit whom she came to know as Mark, will replace her. She remembers Coady telling her that she's needed in Canada. She remembers telling herself how long she's been waiting for this, to finally come home and get a chance to find her family.

She remembers telling Kira about the news, expecting her to throw a tantrum, but her daughter once again proves how much of an angel her monkey is. She remembers how excited Kira was with the prospect of riding an airplane and flying to a different country.

She remembers the first time she step foot on Toronto Pearson International Airport after 19 years. She remembers smiling and laughing with Kira from the excitement. She remembers taking a cab to their temporary home provided by Castor, holding a talkative Kira to her tightly.

Sarah Manning remembers a lot of things. But Sarah Manning remembers that day as the day she knew that she would make good on her promise to see her family again.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

"Mum!"

Kira tried to shake her mother awake as she had been doing for the last 30 minutes. Kira may only be 6 years old, but she was more mature than kids her age. As it was, she understood what it meant not to be late for an important meeting, which her mother would be if she does not wake up any time soon.

"Mum, wake up!"

"Five more minutes, monkey." Sarah groaned, hugging her daughter tighter to her, causing Kira to giggle.

"But mum, your meeting is in 10 minutes." Kira whispered, trying to make her mum panic instead, knowing that it would work its charm.

"Exactly. 10 minutes…" Sarah opened her eyes in panic, her first sight being her daughter. "Did you say 10 minutes, monkey?"

Kira giggled, which Sarah realized was an indication that she was played once again by her daughter. She looked at the time on the bedside table, reading 10:40, leaving her with 20 minutes before the meeting. Instead of replying, Sarah opted to tickle Kira instead, causing her daughter to giggle and lose her breath from laughing.

"I'm sorry! Stop! Stop!" Kira pleaded to her mum, which she gladly did. "You're going to be late, mum." She added when her mum chose to hug her instead of standing up and preparing for the day.

"One more second, monkey." Sarah replied, relishing in the feeling of having her daughter near her. She thanked her lucky stars, like she did every single day she woke up, that despite everything that happened, her daughter turned out to be the best she could ever imagine.

She felt Kira trace her scar on her left temple from one of her assignments, caressing it with so much care. She looked at Kira, and just as she expected, her daughter looked at her like she understood, like she knew everything that happened. She never asked her and Sarah would always be thankful for that. And without fail, just like any other time she's done this, Kira kissed the scar on her temple. Sarah would never get tired of this, the feeling of being loved by someone when she felt like she still didn't deserve it despite not dropping a single blood for 6 years.

Sarah smiled at Kira and kissed her forehead before finally deciding that it's time to prepare for her meeting with her new boss from Canada's Castor Security Group. She stood up, stretching, watching as Kira stood up from the bed, realizing that her daughter was dressed and ready to go.

"You're dressed already? Now who's the adult here?" She smirked at her daughter, causing her monkey to giggle.

"Come on, mum. 15 minutes left!" Kira insisted with a smile.

"Bloody hell, you're no fun!" Sarah playfully scowled at her daughter, who just giggled at her in return, before finally taking a much needed bath.

After 10 minutes, the two were ready to leave. Sarah walked hand in hand with her daughter to Castor, listening to her daughter's excited chatter about how it was so much different here from where they came from, but that it was nice and it felt like home. In return, Sarah finally told her daughter that this was where she stayed as a kid, that she's always wanted to come back and see her family, but that she never got the chance to do so. Kira, being the perfect monkey that she is, told her that she shouldn't worry, they've got plenty of time and that she can't wait to meet her aunties, her uncle and her grandma.

Finally reaching Castor's building, Sarah entered the building with Kira, looking around for the reception desk. Finding what she'd been looking for, she approached the desk.

"Hi, uh… Sarah Manning here to see Mr. Dierden?"

The girl at the desk continued staring at her, as if she'd grown two heads or something. Panicked, she tried to feel her face, trying to see if there were bread crumbs on her face but found nothing. She waved a hand in front of the girl's face.

"Uh, hello? Sarah Manning for Mr. Dierden?"

The girl shook her head and nodded frantically, "Of course, of course. If you'd just take the elevator to the 10th floor, the office will be to your left."

"Right, thanks."

On the way to the elevator, Sarah noticed people staring at her, making her wonder what the deal was all about. It was just like when she first started in Neolution. Just as she entered the elevator, finally alone from all the stares, Kira looked up to her mum and voiced out her observations.

"Everyone's staring at you funny, mum."

Sarah shrugged at her daughter who shrugged back at her as if to say, 'whatever,' making her smile once again with her daughter's nonchalance. Finally arriving at their destination, she exited the elevator with her daughter and turned left just as instructed by the weird receptionist. She was immediately met by a tall, handsome man with chiselled jaw and a body she would have drooled over if she was the same woman all those years ago.

"Sarah Manning, I assume? Paul Dierden, it's nice to finally meet you."

Shaking hands with him, she nodded. "Likewise, Mr. Dierden."

"It's Paul, please. And you have a lovely daughter, by the way." He smiled at Kira, who looked at him like he was a creep, which her mother was definitely thinking. "Come, let's bring this to my office."

Sarah and Kira followed Paul to his office, stopping every once in a while as Paul introduced Sarah around to the other officers. All of which have given her the same stare everyone's been giving her since she arrived. Just as they were about to enter the office, a brunette with the same height as Sarah approaches Paul and gives him a quick peck on the cheek, before realizing that he had company.

"Elizabeth Childs, meet-" Paul started.

"Holy shit. You look just like her!" Elizabeth Childs smiled in wonder at Sarah, which only annoyed Sarah further.

"I'm sorry, who do I look like?" Sarah asked, feeling Kira squeezing her hand, immediately calming her down.

"And you're English! This day just keeps getting better and better." Elizabeth continued, much to Sarah's annoyance.

"Beth, please." Paul groaned, making Beth chuckle and clap him on his shoulder.

"Relax, champ." She said, before turning to Sarah, "I'm sorry for scaring you. It's just so uncanny. You can call me Beth, and your name is?"

"Sarah." She answered, shaking hands with Beth.

"Hendrix?" Beth asked.

"What?"

"Your last name? Is it Hendrix?"

"Manning. It's Manning." Sarah answered, frowning at how weird Beth was being.

"Are you sure? You look exactly like her. It's ridiculous!"

Sarah knew that whoever Beth was pertaining to, that she looked exactly like her, judging by how serious Beth looked at her. Still, the last time she checked, her twin sisters had the same family name as she did and it was Manning, not Hendrix. She wasn't even sure if they lived in the same country anymore (she has yet to look into it), much less if they knew the same people from this office.

"Sorry, but this is all bloody weird as it is. Who exactly do I look like?" She asked, looking at Paul and Beth for answers.

"Alison Hendrix." Paul supplied.

"She's only Canada's most talented actress. That's why people have been staring at you, I'm sure you're wondering." Beth added.

She nodded, not exactly listening to what Paul and Beth as she was busy replaying the name inside her head. 'Alison Hendrix. Alison? Could it be?' She shook her head, trying to get out of her thoughts just in time for Kira to squeeze her hand once again.

"Jesus Beth, she looks like she's seen a ghost. You better come in with us and explain everything inside." Paul scolded.

"Bullshit. That's not my job, Dierden. I'll take this little girl instead while you talk to her… Hi sweetheart, what's your name?" Beth replied as she knelt down in front of Kira, who immediately gave her full attention.

Sarah followed Paul inside the office, blindly trusting Beth to take care of her daughter, knowing that she would be safe surrounded by professional bodyguards. Once Paul sat on the chair behind the desk, he gestured for her to do the same.

"I'm sorry about Beth. She gets excited about these things."

She shook her head, "That's fine. Just a bit overwhelmed, is all."

"I understand. Should we get right into business?" Sarah nodded. "I've read your files and it looks like I don't need to brief you with basic protocol?" She nodded again. "There is a reason why Beth freaked out the way she did today."

Sarah frowned just as Paul pulled out a brown envelope from one of the drawers, which she assumed contained the files of her client. He gestured for her to open it. Sarah looked at it hesitantly, before doing so. The first thing she pulled out made her feel like she was looking at an image of herself, only it was someone else; someone with bangs and a tight lipped smile, but who nonetheless looked exactly like herself and exactly like one of her twin sisters.

"Alison." She whispered, feeling tears in her eyes.

"Now normally, we don't allow bodyguards to guard clients they are familiar with. But in this case, we figured an exception would do. We know you're more than capable to do the job. Besides, it's finally time for you to see them again, wouldn't you say?" Paul asked her with a smile she can't trust.

"You know." Sarah replied, feeling vulnerable for some reason.

"We had to do background check on you, Sarah. I'm sure you can understand that."

"No, you know about Neolution." She challenged him, earning her a smirk from Paul, who raised his hands in surrender.

"Believe me, Sarah, I know what you've been through." He paused, pulling his shirt up, which gave a full view of his scarred and toned body. He pointed out a scar located on his right hip, which looked exactly like a logo she's seen around Neolution. He then dropped his shirt and pointed to her wrist, which had the same scar she never thought she had. "You might be thinking that I'm here to monitor you as part of Neolution, but I'm not. You can trust me to keep your secret."

"Who else knows?"

"Just me and Olivier Duval, the head of Canada Castor. He's not here today."

Sarah sighed in frustration, trying to reason with herself that Neolution would not try to mess with her after all these years.

"Fine. Go on then, what about Alison?"

"Down to business. I like it." Sarah rolled her eyes. "She's an actress and she's been gaining more attention the past few years since she started appearing in Hollywood projects. There's no real threat to her at the moment, but her manager asked for a bodyguard that would blend in well with Alison, and that's where you come in."

"I'm sorry, but it sounds like she's not even aware that she's about to have a bodyguard?" She raised her eyebrows, feeling both incredulous and proud at the moment. Incredulous because she was pretty sure Alison didn't know she was about to have a bodyguard; proud because of how far Alison has gone.

"That's something you will find out when you meet her tonight."

"Bloody Christ." She sighed. "Right, anything else I need to know?"

"Just the main points. She has OCD and likes everything in order. She has two kids from her failed marriage with her ex-husband Donald Hendrix, both adopted. And she has a tendency to drink herself stupid when she feels anxious. Everything else you need to know about her is on that file."

Sarah chuckled in complete disbelief. There's so much she has to catch up on with Alison, and the rest of her family. She stood up just as Paul extended a hand out to her.

"Welcome to Castor Canada, Manning. Do you need someone to pick you up to take you to Alison's tonight?" She shook her head. "In any case, as part of Castor, you have your own car for official use. You can get it from the receptionist downstairs. I'll call her manager to let her know that you're coming tonight."

"Right, thanks. See ya."

She finally exited Paul's office and was immediately met with the sight of a sleeping Kira on top of a sleeping Beth. She chuckled at the thought of Kira being comfortable with a complete stranger, before waking the pair up.

"Is that what you people do here? Slack around?" She asked Beth playfully, who woke up when she felt hands taking away Kira.

"What? You think you already know your way around here, huh, dipshit?" Beth replied with the same playful tone then sat up and stretched. "Anyway, Kira was telling me that you two lived alone. You can live with me, I've been looking for someone to rent my apartment with."

"Kira wouldn't be a bother for you?" Sarah asked, grateful for Beth's offer.

"Your kid is lovely. She'd never be a bother to me. You're lucky, Manning." Both women smiled and looked at the girl who was sleeping soundly with her head on her mum's shoulders. "Anyway, I assume you'll meet your client later tonight, you can drop her off and your things at my place before you go." Beth gave a card to Sarah, who pocketed it. "Welcome, dipshit."

"Likewise, bitch." They shook hands and smiled, before Sarah left home to rest and pack their things (which thankfully, they didn't have a lot of) with a sleeping Kira in her arms.

Later that night, with everything packed and ready to go, Sarah and Kira walked to the building and fetched the car Sarah was about to use. Sarah was shocked with the car given to her, expecting it to be a cheap car, and not an expensive black Audi A1. After appreciating the beauty of her new car, Sarah spent the next 10 minutes strategically placing all of her and Kira's things inside the A1. She then spent the next 10-15 minutes looking for Beth's apartment, which judging by its modern architecture was expensive. After parking the car in front of the apartment, Sarah and Kira made their way to the door and rang the doorbell, which Beth answered and ushered them in.

As much as Sarah wanted to take a good look around the apartment after putting her and Kira's packed belongings, she knew instinctively that she could trust Beth with her daughter. Besides, she was already running late with her meeting with Alison, which is a big no-no according to her files. After a few explanations from Sarah, Beth finally kicked her out and told her to do her job.

Arriving at Alison's place in a suburban area in Scarborough, which was impressive as Sarah noted, she took a deep breath before turning the engine off and finally having the courage to walk up the front door. She pressed the doorbell and waited as she heard two people hissing at each other behind the door. Finally, the door opened.

"It's nice of you to finally join us-"

Sarah looked up just as Alison stopped her sarcastic greeting.

"Sarah?" Alison gasped, looking like she's about to have a panic attack.

"Ali?" Sarah asked, worrying that Alison might faint. Then, without expecting it, Alison slapped her at her right cheek. "Ow! What the bloody hell-" another slap at her left cheek. "Jesus, Ali! What the fuck?"

"You have an English accent. All this time, you were in England, hm?"

"Yes, but I didn't know until-" Sarah started to explain but she was stopped by another slap. "Bloody hell, Alison!"

"We looked everywhere for you, Sarah!" Alison started sobbing and punching Sarah everywhere. "How could you run away from us? How could you?"

Sarah stood there in complete shock before she realized a while later that Alison's punches started to hurt. Instead of grabbing her hands, Sarah opted to hug her sister to her chest, which worked as Alison's shoulders sagged as she sobbed on her chest.

"Is that what you guys think I did? That I ran away from you?" Sarah whispered.

"What other explanation can there be, hm? We woke up with a call from the center telling us that you were gone the next day, that you ran away. Jesus Murphy, Sarah, what did you expect us to think?" Alison explained then sobbed again.

"I can explain." Sarah pulled away from Alison and looked her straight in the eyes. "But I need you to believe me when I say that I didn't run away from you. Okay, Ali?" Alison nodded then gave Sarah a crushing hug, which Sarah gladly returned.

"As much as this is a lovely reunion to watch, you've got to sleep in a few minutes, Alison. You need to be up early for an interview tomorrow." A blonde woman interrupted, breaking the hug between the twins.

Sarah witnessed first hand Alison's OCD when she quickly made an effort to fix her dishevelled shirt, including Sarah's. She chuckled and grabbed Alison's hands. "Relax, Ali. You look fine."

"Yes, well." Alison continued to fix her shirt, her hair and her face. "Right. This is Aynsley Norris, by the way, she's my manager. I'm an actress now." Alison grinned, which prompted Sarah to grin as well.

"So I heard. I'm proud of you, Ali." The twins grinned at each other, before Alison cleared her throat to recover, giving Sarah her patented tight lipped smile.

"So, what brings you here, Sarah?"

"I'm your new bodyguard."


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: Let me know if I should still continue.**

* * *

 **Chapter 2:**

There was a long pause before Alison realized what Sarah had just said.

"What do you mean my bodyguard? Nobody said anything about bodyguards. Aynsley, I thought we were meeting with another company." Alison said as she turned to look back at Aynsley.

Aynsley gave Alison a sheepish smile, "About that… I think it's better if we take this talk inside."

"What? But that's my sister right there! You can't just-"

"Alison. Not here. People are starting to look at us." Sarah interrupted before Alison went nuts.

"Fine." Alison huffed then stepped aside to let Sarah pass.

The first thing that Sarah did when she entered Alison's home was to inspect how safe it was, assuming that Alison lived with her two kids. Once she was sure that there were accessible exits for emergency purposes, she observed, or appreciated more like, her sister's home. Sarah could easily see the product of Alison's success; from the modern design of the house, from the craft room that she noticed as she entered, from the garage outside, and just from the general size of the house.

Sarah nodded her head in appreciation, and once done, took a seat where Alison was impatiently pointing at her to do so, judging by the tight lipped smile and the silent tapping of her foot.

"Now tell me, Aynsley. Are you hiding something from me? Because if that's the case, I need to know now because I will not hesitate to-" Alison started.

"My God, would you please relax and let me explain before you go off on a gasket?" Aynsley interrupted.

"Then why on Pete's sake do I need a bodyguard? And out of all bodyguards out there, you had to get me my sister? The sister I have not seen in so many years?" Alison replied.

"Eh… Thanks? Is that your way of saying you missed me?" Sarah asked with a playful smirk on her face, trying to cut the tension even though she knew these two were basically friends.

"Shut up. You don't get to make jokes. You're not off the hook yet." Alison said with a pointed glare at Sarah, to which Sarah raised her hands in surrender.

"There are no threats to your safety. It's just you're being bombarded in public too much and I thought, why not give you someone who can save you from them? Someone who can blend in with you?" Aynsley explained.

"But you know how much I love the fans! It's just, I mean, I don't like it when someone tries to grab me out of nowhere, ruins my shirt… it makes me feel anxious but whatever. I love them!"

"Still, Alison. It's no secret to everyone how much attention you've been getting recently. It's only a matter of time before someone out there tries some dirty sh… stuff!"

"Okay. But why my sister?"

"You can stop talking like I'm not here, Alison." Sarah interrupted, again trying to keep the mood light.

"I said zip it, Sarah." Alison glared at her, to which again, Sarah mockingly zipped her lips shut.

"I honestly didn't know at first, okay? But then when they sent me the name of the bodyguard, I thought it would be a good way to surprise you. I know how much you've wanted to look for her, Alison. Well, I just found her." Aynsley said.

"And you thought it was a good idea to put her in the line of fire? I just got my sister back, Aynsley. I'm not about to make her my bullet proof vest."

"Who says you'll ever be in the line of fire?" Sarah asked, receiving a huff and a glare from Alison. She raised her hands in surrender.

"Alison, please. I requested for the best and they gave me her. Her being your long lost sister was just the icing on the cake."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better? Are you even capable of doing the job?" Alison asked, turning to address Sarah.

Sarah, who only heard the last part as she was busy looking around the living room, turned in sarcastic shock. "Now you're talking to me?"

"Just answer the freaking question!" Alison screamed.

"Jesus, relax. What's got your knickers in a twist? Alright, fine. Yes, she's right, I'm more than capable to do this job."

"And how will I know that?"

Sarah gave an incredulous look to her sister in frustration. "Does being your sister not count as an incentive as it is? Trust me, you wouldn't want me to answer your question."

She didn't like it when people questioned her capabilities, especially as she knew damn well that she was capable of killing people who have the tightest security. Besides, she's done it before. She was more than capable of doing the job. Normally, in situations like these, Sarah would snap. But she's a changed person, and throughout the years, she's learned to calm herself down.

She brushed her hair back, exposing the scars on her face.

"Oh my goodness. You poor thing! Where did you get those scars? Who did that to you? Wha-" Alison gasped.

"It's really not something I want to talk about right now." Sarah interrupted.

"But Sarah, you can't just expect me to not care-"

"Alison! Please. If I told you, I would lose you. Again. And I'd rather that doesn't happen again." Sarah said, her tone letting Alison know that she was dead serious.

Alison looked at her and realized what she had just said. "Jesus Murphy. It's that bad?"

Sarah looked away, trying to avoid Alison from reading her mind through her eyes. People may have seen Sarah as an ice cold bitch, but Sarah knew judging by Alison's personality that she would know. Mother's instinct. Sarah has it too. She needed to change the topic.

"Do I need to sign a contract or something?" Sarah said, addressing Aynsley.

Aynsley pulled out a contract, which Sarah signed and handed back to Aynsley.

"Thanks. I'll go right ahead. And Alison, please rest and have some sleep. Your call time is 7:00 AM. Good night." Aynsley stood up and left.

"Good night. And Aynsley!" Aynsley stopped and turned to Alison. "Thank you for bringing my sister back." Alison blushed and gave her patented smile, which Aynsley returned with a nod and smile of her own before finally leaving.

As soon as Aynsley left, an awkward silence came over the sisters. There was no doubt in Sarah's mind that she wanted to make up for the 19 years she could've spent with her sister. She wanted to make up for it, but she knew it wouldn't be easy. She was sure that Alison had the same sentiments.

"So… Where are you staying?" Alison asked, trying to stop the awkward silence.

"Oh, I live a few minutes away from here with my new colleague. She's actually a big fan of yours." Sarah answered.

"Really? I'd love to meet her!"

"Pretty sure I wouldn't hear the end of it, so yeah, no doubt it will happen. By the way, what's with the Hendrix thing? I thought you were already divorced."

"Oh, it's my screen name. Aynsley thought it best not to change it back to Manning. She thought it had a nice ring to it. Besides, I've been using it for years, so why not? Look Sarah-"

"And where are your kids? I have a-" Sarah interrupted, her excitement getting the best of her.

"Sarah! Look, I hate to cut this short. But it's really important for me to look good tomorrow morning."

"Aww, come on. You don't even miss me?"

"So not the point, Sarah."

"Fine, fine. I'm a bit tired myself. What time do you need me tomorrow?"

"5:30AM sharp." Alison answered with a pointed look at her, letting her know that she didn't forget that she was late for their meeting a while ago.

"Roger that." Sarah gave a salute to Alison, which Alison rolled her eyes at.

It was silent again and Sarah wished it wasn't as awkward as it was. She wished that she knew how to not make it awkward, but she also knew that as Alison's bodyguard, she would have enough chances to get to know her sister.

She made her way to the door, Alison closely following behind her. As she turned around to bid her goodbye, Alison cleared her throat.

"Sarah, before you go… Does mom know you're back? Does Cosima? Does Felix?"

Sarah shrugged then shook her head. "I haven't found them yet. I was hoping you could help me with that."

"Done! Now chop chop! I actually have an interview to rock tomorrow." Alison said, excitement filling her eyes while she shooed her sister away.

"Fine. Thanks, Alison. It was really nice to see you again." Sarah smiled, which Alison returned with a genuine smile.

"For the record, Sarah, it was really nice to see you too. You don't know how long I've been waiting for this day to come."

They looked at each other a long time before giving each other a final hug.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Sarah said as she walked to her car.

"Don't be late! I hate people who are late!" Alison shouted at her sister.

"Ma'am, yes, ma'am!"

* * *

It was a little after lunch and the day has gone by without a hitch, except for this morning of course, when she was late and Alison let her know about it.

" _Good morning, Sarah. What did I say about being late, hm?" Alison said as Sarah assisted her to her passenger seat._

" _What? It's just one bloody minute!" Sarah complained._

" _Still late!"_

After that, things went smoothly. Well, as smooth as these things go. Sarah has always had to guard people who really needed the security. Alison's was just precautionary, but still, she marvelled at the chance of being with her sister even if it meant that she had to experience Alison's mothering first hand. Still, to be able to see how much her fans loved her sister just goes to show how lovely her sister really was. As far as she can tell, Alison was a real person. There was no bullshit in her. And Sarah was more than grateful for that because she's had to guard people who were way over themselves. Although Alison didn't say much on the way to the interview, which Sarah thought was her way of preparing for what was to come, Alison more than made up for it at the end of her interview.

" _Now, I have to ask this… I got word that you found your long lost sister. Is that true?" Liz Smith asked._

" _Yes, it's true." Alison smiled genuinely._

" _I know you've been looking for her for years. You've mentioned her in countless interviews. In fact, you never forget to mention your sister, Sarah, was it?"_

 _Sarah felt something in her chest at that statement. All she knew was that she can't imagine how much pain her siblings went through after they knew she was gone. The worst part was they didn't know she was taken away by some fucking group that she suspects her mum knows about._

" _Yes." Alison nodded, getting a little emotional._

" _How did it feel to finally see Sarah after all these years?"_

 _Alison sighed and fought the tears, deciding to lighten up the conversation. "Well, how would you feel?"_

" _Touché. I'd love for you to stay more but we've run out of time. Thank you for coming. Alison Hendrix, everybody!" Liz Smith stood up and hugged Alison._

" _Thank you for having me!"_

They didn't speak about it when Sarah assisted Alison to her car and drove her to another interview. The interviewers seemed to have heard her resurrection and Sarah worried that this might put a strain on Alison's mood. To her surprise, it didn't. But she knew from the interviews that Alison wasn't much to talk about her personal life, but that she shared enough with the public for them to love her. It was nice, in that Sarah found something common between her and her sister.

Right now, however, as they walked back to the direction of her car for their family reunion, she was surprised to hear Alison's request.

"Aynsley, please call Ramon. I'll need his services." Alison requested.

"Services?" Sarah asked.

"He's Alison's driver." Aynsley answered for her.

Sarah's eyebrows furrowed. "What? Cancel the call. Alison, that's what I'm bloody here for. I've been driving you the whole morning. I'm your driver and your bodyguard."

"That is asking for too much from my sister, Sarah. I will not have it. Call Ramon, please. Besides, we're on our way to a family reunion. I don't need you around me as a robot." Alison huffed and placed her hands on her hips.

"Do I walk with a huge stick up my arse? You have it the other way around!"

"That is not what I meant! And what do you mean? I don't have a stick up my butt."

"Oh yes, you do, Alison." Sarah challenged with a smirk on her face.

"Eff you! Just bring me to my car, will you?" Alison blushed and looked away, making Sarah chuckle at how easy it was to rattle her sister.

Later, after Sarah had assisted Alison in Ramon's car and convoyed with her own, they arrived a few blocks away from the restaurant. Alison has been an angel compared to her other clients, until now when she saw her sister leaving the car without her say so.

"What did I bloody say about leaving the car without me?" Sarah said as she rushed to Alison's side as they walked to the restaurant.

Alison looked at Sarah, chuckled, then shook her head in amusment. "Felix would freak about your accent. He's been trying to perfect it for years. Cosima would be ecstatic to see you. She's doing her PhD at the moment."

"Cosima's always been the smart one. What's Felix up to now?"

"Drama school. Because I'm such a good influence."

"Jesus, more dramatics." Sarah muttered to herself.

"I heard that. We're here."

And at that announcement, Sarah felt her heart double in speed. She was excited, no doubt about that. But if she were to judge Alison's reaction by slapping her last night, she can only imagine what her other two siblings would do to her if they saw her. She only wished that her siblings missed her as much as she did.

They walked to the table with Sarah in tow. As they neared the table, she could see her two siblings in an animated conversation, laughing, as if they had no care in the world. She wished more than anything that she was able to experience these things growing up with her siblings, but of course she had to be robbed off a genuinely fun life. She stopped behind Alison when she halted her movements.

"Cosima, Felix… meet Sarah." Alison turned to show Sarah, eliciting a gasp from both her other twin sister and her brother.

"Holy shit, dude." Cosima said, with the biggest grin on her face.

"Oh my god. It really is you." Felix said, still staring in awe at the sister he missed the most.

"Well, unless we were quadruplets and I didn't know about it, then it really is me." Sarah's sarcastic reply only made their jaw drop.

"…and you have an English accent." Felix pointed out.

"Holy watershed! I knew you were my favourite twin!" Cosima exclaimed, making Sarah chuckle.

"Ouch, Cosima." Alison huffed in the side, fighting the smile on her face.

"Oh come on, you know I love you, Ali."

"Save the drama, Ali. We all know you're good at it." Felix said.

"Zip it, Felix. And anyway, I'm not the subject here. May I point you to Sarah, our long lost sister, the sister we haven't seen for 19 years if you can't remember, is here. Aren't you all going to give her a hug?"

Sarah was ambushed with a barrage of hugs from her sister and Felix, receiving smooches all over her face for it. She chuckled, trying to push them away and feeling awkward at the attention she was getting. Later on, she received an extra smooth and extra hug from someone who she knew was Alison, who decided to join the group hug.

"I missed you, Sar. It's good to have you back." Cosima said.

"We all did, Sarah. We were in a bad shape after you left us." Felix stated, her twin sisters nodding in agreement with a solemn look on their face.

That should have been comforting. But for some reason, Sarah remembered the look on her mother's eyes when they took her and how it was so different from the look on her siblings' faces. The look told Sarah what she has always wanted to know. She made her go away. And as if being taken away to a place you didn't know existed wasn't punishment enough, she made her go away to kill people. As much as Sarah missed her mother, she couldn't help but remember the look on her mother's face the night she was taken away. The look that said 'she was sorry, but she didn't have a choice.'

"Yeah? Can you say the same thing about mum?" Sarah asked and was met with silence. "Thought so. Where is she anyway?"

She was met with silence once again, and this time, when she looked at her siblings in front of her, they were looking at someone behind her. She already knew who it was before she heard the greeting.

"Hello, Sarah."

She turned around, and there she was, the mother who gave her away to those monsters. The mother who made her own daughter a monster, but of course, her siblings didn't know that. They didn't need to. She just had to keep it a secret. This time, however, despite her mother's intimidating gait and stern features, she was met with a guilty expression she never thought she'd see.

"Hello, S."


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: Anyone else still interested in this? lol. Really want to know if it's still worth it to continue. In the meanwhile, here's another chapter!**

 **thetravelingkid hey! thank you for the review. :) as I mentioned in the prologue, all your favorite characters will appear here in due time. I've clued in to one of our favorites in this chapter, in particular. That also means Cophine will appear here in Cosima's POV. And as for your other question, let's see. lol**

* * *

 **Chapter 3:**

"I'm surprised you even cared to show up." Sarah smirked at her mother, who looked down and sighed.

"Okay, guys… This is a family reunion, okay? Let's pocket all the hostility for a while and enjoy some family time." Sarah heard Cosima saying as she placed herself in the middle of her twin sister and mom.

"It's alright, chicken. I deserve it." Mrs. S, the mother of the four children, finally admitted.

"Bloody right you do." Sarah hissed, catching the attention of the other guests of the restaurant.

"Okay, woah, woah… What did I just say about hostility?" Cosima asked, glaring at both her sister and her mother. "Whatever this is, you obvs have something to talk about without us, but not now, okay?" both women sighed, looked at each other then nodded. Cosima smiled with her tongue in between. "Good! Let's get back to the table and order some supper because this cotton mouth is disgusting."

"Well, well, well… Our geek monkey is a stoner, too?" Sarah asked as she sat down in their table, amused.

"You should visit her place sometime, Sarah. It says hippy all over it. It's too lesbian for my taste." Felix remarked.

"And a lesbian, too, eh?" Sarah smirked as Cosima chuckled and grinned. Sarah turned to Alison who was watching her siblings chat with their long lost sister with a smile on her face.

"I'm surprised you're okay with this?" Sarah gestured to Cosima's body, while Cosima's jaw dropped in mock insult.

"Excuse me, what is wrong with this?"

"Well, if you must know, Sarah, it took a lot of getting used to but Cosima is and always will be blood. Besides, she's not the only gay one in the family." Alison answered as she nodded to Felix's direction.

"Oh, it's clear as day that the two of them are gay. I was just waiting for the confession." Sarah replied. "But the question is, are you gay too, Alison?"

Cosima and Felix looked at each other and burst out laughing as Sarah tried to hold in her laughter with the look of horror on Alison's face.

"Oh for Pete's sake, Sarah!" Alison yelped but couldn't help but let it go as she watched her siblings laugh even if it was at her expense.

The truth was, Alison wasn't gay; she thought that she would never touch that part of her. Felix and Cosima knew that about her. She wasn't homophobic, mind, although a lot of people thought she was including her siblings. She just… Well, she's just not into that kind of lifestyle. Despite that, however, she has always been respectful of other people's sexuality. Besides, it's the least interesting thing about them, as Cosima had taught her over the years.

The rest of the dinner went on like this, with the siblings exchanging witty banters, as if years had not gone by and separated them from Sarah. There were times when the siblings would ask Sarah where she had been and what she has done over the past few years and things would quickly go south from there, with Sarah physically tensing, making things awkward. But thanks to Cosima's ability to turn awkward conversations into laughs, the rest of the night had gone by without much of a hitch.

Cosima mostly swayed the conversation to her studies, babbling about her PhD studies, which if Sarah was her old self, she would be bored the hell out of. Cosima knew that Sarah might have been bored, but she noticed the way Sarah froze when asked about herself and she knew that whatever it was that her sister had to go through in the past, she wouldn't know about it today. She made a mental note, however, to ask her about it soon. So instead of getting to know Sarah, she let Sarah get to know her by babbling endlessly, with Felix occasionally butting in and giving a piece of himself to his long lost sister. In turn, this gave Sarah the chance to know Cosima's and Felix's whereabouts for the last few years. During Cosima's babbling and wild hand gestures, Sarah gathered that Cosima has been spending the last few years in Minnesota, where she was finishing her PhD with her friend Scott.

On the other hand, Felix has been spending the last few years going to and fro Canada and Los Angeles, attending as much acting classes and getting as much theatre exposure as he can. When asked by Sarah where he got the funds for what he was doing, Felix elaborated about painting for recreational purposes, which he sells sometimes. But that, every now and then when his paintings can't cover the funds, he pointed out that Alison was more than willing to help, even if it was against his will. At that, Sarah did not forget to ask about what Alison mentioned about him wanting to master the English accent, which turned a usually calm and collected Felix excited, much to the amusement of the triplets.

At the end of the night, Felix announced that he would be staying with Alison for a while so that he could spend time with Sarah, but not before getting his things from his apartment. Cosima, on the other hand, would have to go back to Minnesota to finish a research, but promised to go back for Sarah in a week and spend as much time as she could. Despite the obvious tension that existed between Siobhan and Sarah, which the siblings had no clue what it was about, the two were able to hug it out, albeit hesitantly, before separating for the night.

As Sarah and Alison watched Cosima, Felix and Siobhan's cab leave for the night, Sarah noticed that there were a group of girls on the other street looking at Alison, seemingly waiting for a chance to get a picture with her sister, judging by the iPhones that were on display. _Alison's fans,_ she mentally noted to herself and chuckled, making Alison turn to her with a smile.

"What? What are you laughing about?"

"You have fans waiting for you on the other side of the street. Will you take a picture with them or should I send them on their merry way home?" Sarah asked, knowing the answer immediately.

"Sarah! You know I love the fans. I'll take a picture with them. Take me to them." Alison ordered while she fixed herself to look more presentable than she already is.

"Roger that, ma'am."

"Will you stop that?" Alison huffed as she and her sister crossed to the other street to meet her fans.

Immediately, Sarah and Alison were met with screams from the group of girls, which were immediately muffled once Sarah had signalled for them to keep it down with a smile on her face. At that, the screams turned into excitable babbling from Alison's fans, which Alison genuinely entertained and listened to. One by one, each fans expressed their feelings toward their celebrity idol.

"Oh my God! I love your work in Stand by Me! I've been following you ever since!"

"You're so beautiful and talented! Thank you for your work; you don't know how much it means to us."

"You're such an inspiration!"

"Is it true that you're working with Delphine Cormier for a movie?"

At that question, Alison chuckled.

"You guys are updated, hm? Let's just say nothing is set on stone, but it's possible." Alison replied. At that, more screams were generated from the fans, which amused Sarah to no end.

Sarah immediately volunteered to take their photos, each of the girls taking their turn to have a decent picture with Alison. After taking the last photo for the last girl, she was baffled by a request before she even had the time to put the phone down.

"Can we also take a picture with your sister, too, Alison? It would mean a lot to us. We're so happy you finally found her."

Alison grinned this time and nodded to Sarah. "Only if it's okay with her."

"Please?" The girl pleaded, which followed a chorus of 'please' from the other girls.

Sarah chuckled and shook her head, before going ahead and taking this 'selfie' that the fans taught her to do, so that everyone including Alison was in the picture. After the fans hugged Alison goodbye, Sarah assisted her sister to the passenger seat of her car, before driving Alison home.

Sarah and Alison spent the drive home talking about what the fans mentioned earlier, about her playing alongside Delphine Cormier, which Sarah has heard a lot about in England. Alison then confirmed that she was going to be in a movie with her, but that Sarah can't divulge that information to anyone else yet. Aside from that, Sarah inquired about Alison's schedule, seeing as she needs to plan security, to which she found out that Alison's days would only consist of the odd magazine or television interviews every now and then until they start shooting for the movie next month. In turn, Alison jokingly told Sarah that she would no longer need her services, because it was nothing she couldn't handle. The free and easy conversation between the two flowed until Alison asked Sarah to sleep over at her house tonight instead of going home since it was already late.

"I can't, Ali. I have a daughter. I can't just-"

"You have a what?! You have a daughter? Why do I only know about this now, hm? Do you have any more secrets? A husband, maybe? Or a wife? What?" Alison huffed as she rubbed her neck, a sign that she was rattled by what Sarah just told her.

"Jesus Christ, Ali. Do you really have to react that way every time?" Sarah replied, frown apparent in her face. "And to answer your question, no; no husband and no wife. And by the way, I was about to tell you last night, but you bloody shut me up and kicked me out of your house before I could."

"Still, Sarah! You didn't think to mention this throughout the day?"

"I'm sorry, okay! If you really want to meet her, then fine, we'll sleep in your house tonight. Are you happy now?" Sarah sighed as she scratched her head.

Alison huffed, sighed, and then nodded her agreement. The rest of the ride was spent in silence, with Sarah trying to shake off her nerves at Alison meeting Kira and with Alison trying to get it to her head that her sister has a daughter, something she never thought she'd see happen.

A few moments later, the car stopped and Alison realized that she was already home, which she found odd.

"What are you doing? Why are we here?" Alison questioned which caused Sarah to frown.

"Eh? I'm here to drop you off before I get my daughter and my things?"

"Absolutely not. You are taking me with you." Alison huffed as she raised her eyebrows at her sister.

"Bloody hell." Sarah muttered to herself as she rolled her eyes before driving off to her and Beth's apartment.

After 10 minutes, they finally arrived. Sarah noticed a strange car parked outside of her and Beth's apartment, a car she realized may be one of the official cars for use in Castor. Still, this alarmed her as she quietly but quickly opened the door, followed behind by Alison who caught on that something was strange. As she scanned the living room, she noticed that the TV was still on and that Kira was in front of it, drawing on a piece of paper. She made her way over, before she felt someone grab her from behind and slammed her to the wall, making her groan in pain and Alison scream.

"Who the fuck are you?" The intruder asked as he held Sarah to the wall, while Alison continued to slap him on the back.

With all the strength that she could muster, Sarah dropped herself to the ground, escaping the intruder's hold, before grabbing the intruder from behind and slamming him to the wall.

"The question is, who the fuck are you and what the bloody fuck are you doing here?" Sarah spat as she noticed Kira walking towards them from her peripheral.

"Mummy!"

At that, the intruder looked at Sarah and the look of realization dawned on his face.

"Oh. You're Sarah Manning." He said, all hostility gone from his tone.

"Hey monkey. Can you take your Auntie Alison to the living room, please?" Sarah requested to her daughter, which her daughter dutifully did as Kira grabbed Alison's hands and led her to the living room.

Sarah released her hold without giving a chance for the stranger to escape. This gave her the chance to observe the stranger. He was dark skinned, had a skin head from the looks of it, was well-built and was obviously well-trained for her not to realize someone coming from behind her. At that, she realized that Beth was nowhere around.

"Who are you, then? Where's Beth?"

"She had an assignment for an on-call client. She asked me to be here because there was someone she couldn't leave alone. So you may want to release that hold right now."

Sarah released the hold she had on the stranger completely, turning him around, giving a chance for the stranger to formally introduce himself.

"Arthur Bell. You can call me Art. Beth's friend from Castor."

"Yeah, I gathered." Sarah sighed then brushed her hair back. "You can go home now. I'm taking my daughter with me. I'm sleeping with my sister."

Art nodded. "I'm really sorry about earlier."

"That's fine. I would've been livid if you hadn't done that. Thanks." Sarah replied.

"See you around, Manning." Sarah waved him off as he gave her one final nod before leaving the apartment.

Sarah sighed once again, before making her way to the living room, where she found Alison and Kira in an animated conversation about her drawings. She couldn't help but smile at what she was seeing. This was what she's dreamed of ever since she had Kira; a chance for her family to meet her daughter. The fact that Alison and Kira seem to hit it off like a house on fire just made things a lot better. After a while of staring, the two finally realized that Sarah was watching them.

"Mummy!"

"Hey stranger."

Kira and Alison greeted at the same time, making them giggle. Sarah approached the two of them and placed herself between her sister and her daughter.

"It seems you're having fun without me." Sarah said, making Kira giggle as she placed herself in her mother's lap.

"Auntie Alison was just telling me about that time you peed in your bed, mum. You look so alike!" Kira and Alison giggled again when her mum groaned in mock frustration.

"Really, Ali? Out of all the things you can tell her?"

Alison smiled. "Serves you right for not telling me about your lovely daughter. I mean, how could you, Sarah?"

"Yeah, yeah. Bloody hell." Sarah sighed then turned to Kira. "Can you pack your things for a while, monkey?"

"Are we leaving again? I thought you liked Beth." Kira asked as Sarah shook her head.

"No monkey, we're sleeping in Auntie Alison's tonight because she wants to get to know you. Then you could meet your Uncle Felix, too."

"More family?" Kira smiled, amusing both Sarah and Alison.

"Yes, more family." Sarah replied, making Kira grin.

"Okay."

At that, Kira left her mother and her aunt in the living room as she packed her things. Sarah was about to follow when Alison's hand on her arm stopped her.

"You're lucky, Sarah. Kira's a lovely kid. Gemma and Oscar are going to like her." Alison said, making Sarah smile as she grabbed Alison's hand.

"Thanks, Ali. I can't wait to meet your kids." The sisters smiled at each other, before Sarah stood up and left to pack her things.

Soon enough, after leaving a note for Beth, the three found themselves in Sarah's car, on their way to Alison's to finally have their rest. While the ride to Alison's was filled with Alison and Kira's chatter, Sarah did not fail to notice the motorcycle that was following them.


End file.
